Return of the Matka-Zem (The Sorain Chronicles)

by Chanley, Deborah

  She fought the urge to run away from the pair, like a lovesick girl, and she gritted her teeth. Why she felt so hurt by a simple smile was a mystery. She admitted she held a childish infatuation for the Mlinzi, triggered by her returning memories, yet, as a woman, she held no romantic feelings towards the Mlinzi, and he none for her. Or so she thought. Thane was the only male she had ever met, outside of the compound, and she had no comparison upon which to make a judgment.

  "It's true we may have a battle at the Gate, Matka-Zem." Thane responded, still in a formal tone. "The Ravib Kivi is spent, so we must be wary." Thane turned his attention to the controls and maneuvered the craft to head for the coast. "We will be docking tonight, so be ready."

  "Tonight?" Valencia exclaimed in surprise. "But you said we still had another week before we reached Peru."

  "My dear friend," Donna answered, and tucked her arm around one of Valencia's as she guided her away from the bridge, "you're been asleep for almost a week."

  Chapter 8

  Under the cover of darkness, the traveling companions beached the yacht on one of the many deserted beaches north of Port Ilo. Not wanting to venture into the desert, the trio hugged the coastline as they trekked towards the port. Though it was early morning, it was still dark, and they had only the bright stars to guide them. Having been on the ocean for so long, they had become accustomed to the rolling deck under their feet and it took a while for them to get their land legs back. With his years of training, the change under his feet did not bother Thane. However, the women were another matter.

  "I'm caught out in the open with two incompetents," he mumbled under his breath as they stumbled after him. Shaking his head in a mixture of irritation and amusement, he slowed his pace for the women. Although, he had instructed them to remain quiet, he was not surprised when the human broke the silence less than fifteen minute into their trek.

  "Wow, this place is a little creepy," Donna said, gawking around at the night-blackened sand.

  Thane suppressed a snicker when he saw her hand slide to the holstered gun for reassurance.

  Donna continued to talk. "It feels like we're on a deserted island."

  "Hush!" He glared back at the small woman. He was glad Donna brought the weapon, for her fighting skills were questionable at best and he doubted she would survive in a hand-to-hand combat situation.

  "Yes it does," Valencia spoke to her friend, in a much quieter tone, but he growled at her to be quiet. The two women giggled quietly. He did not know where their adversaries were hiding, but he did not want to push their luck.

  Thane seriously doubted the Glauc-tuko were anywhere near the area, but he wanted to keep them alert. The closer they got to the Gate, the higher the chance of attack and he wanted them to be at the ready.

  Under cover of darkness, they entered the sleeping port town and began to search for transportation. They still had quite a ways to travel before reaching the Gate and going by foot was not practical. Just outside of the town, on one of the dirt roads, they came upon an old, rusty pickup truck. Thane pulled out one of his crystals to start the engine, but Donna shooed him away.

  "Don't waste your crystal, Thane. We may need it later." Donna ducked under the dash and pulled on some of the wires. Within a few seconds, the vehicle roared to life. "When I was a kid, hotwiring was always my specialty." She hopped behind the steering wheel. "I'll drive."

  He had no idea what hotwiring meant, but he recognized the fact that Donna had skills that likely weren't legal on this planet. Suppressing a laugh, he piled their packs in the back and gently pushed Valencia into the cab. He gave the princess a slight smile when he saw the Matka-Zem was about to argue for being stuck in the middle. He firmly shut the door and spoke through the open window.

  "Drive toward Moquegua. There, we will gather more supplies, before we head to Puno." He patted the door before hopping into the back of the truck.

  Little vegetation grew in the Atacama Desert, except cacti, succulents and other plants that thrive in a dry climate. In silence, they rode as the summer sun rose and began to heat the desert around them. It became too warm for Thane to stay in the back of the vehicle and the closeness in the cab caused them all to become drowsy. The highway to Puno was a hot, lonely drive and soon Donna stated talking to keep from falling asleep at the wheel.

  "Did you know that this desert is considered the driest place on Earth?" Donna stifled a yawn.

  "No, I didn't." Valencia stirred from her own drowsiness and Thane watched her gain awareness that she'd had her head on his shoulder. Thane suppressed a chuckle as Valencia gave him a sheepish smile and shifted away. He was surprised how things had changed and how he now smiled and laughed easily in the women's presence. The month confined with the women had changed him. He didn't know if he liked what he had become.

  "This place has been compared to Mars and the Moon," Donna continued with her lecture of the area. "And they actually held tests here with the equipment they sent to Mars and outer space."

  "What is Mars?" Thane asked in curiosity. Although he tried to be indifferent, the topic was interesting. Besides there was nothing to do and he too needed to stay awake.

  "Mars is the next planet farther away from the sun," Valencia answered before Donna could. "Sad that I know more about this system than my own."

  "You'll learn, Princess," Thane softly answered as he looked out the window. "This place is pretty desolate. Is Mars like this?"

  "Pretty close." Donna paused when she passed a slower vehicle. "Although, they think it held life at one time, but now it's too cold and has no water, so nothing lives there."

  "Isn't the core cold now?" Valencia asked in curiosity. "Isn't that why there is no water— because the atmosphere is too thin?"

  "That's what they say," Donna said, then changed the subject. "By the way, you never really told me where we are heading. But I'm taking a guess that we're going to the Gate of the Gods."

  "Puerta de Hayu Marka," Valencia whispered, almost to herself.

  "Yes, we're heading there," Thane answered in a matter-of-fact tone. Both women looked in his direction in surprise.

  "You've been there?" Donna glanced at him before returning her attention to the road.

  "No," Thane said simply, not accustomed to elaborating without prodding.

  "How did you get to Earth then?" Valencia asked with a touch of frustration in her voice.

  "The Gate at the compound." Thane saw that his answer surprised the princess. "It was in the garden maze, with six stone statues in its center."

  "Inga destroyed one of the statues while looking for the safety deposit key," Valencia interjected, remembering how the cook pulled down the statue.

  "Actually, she was looking for the Lavi Santi." He corrected the princess. "It would have been easier to have escaped through that gate, but Naji and I always like to have a contingency plan."

  "But you didn't have the key to this gate." Valencia fingered the small box she held in her lap. It was too precious to leave in the backpack and there was no other place to put it.

  "Naji told me she had given you the key." His answer was simple enough but Valencia still gasped in surprise.

  "She was still alive when you arrived?"

  "Yes. I arrived about two weeks before her death."

  "And you didn't make yourself known?" Valencia seemed flabbergasted at the thought of him being at the compound for so long without her knowledge.

  "No." He was not sure why she was upset, but he decided to explain before she became angry. "I was charged to find an alternative route through the forest, just in case. Naji had a feeling that at least one of the staff was more than they appeared. I had just returned when you entered the barn."

  There was a long silence before Donna shifted uncomfortably. Thane could tell the heat was making her drowsy again.

  "There are two major observatories and a radio telescope on one of these peaks," Donna spoke as if she'd never stopped her verbal tour-guide routine.
r />   Valencia glanced at him and they both chuckled at the human.

  ***

  It took five hours to reach Puno in the rickety truck that practically crawled its way up every steep hill then raced, with a horrible shake, down the other side. With a final buck, smoke bellowed from under the hood as they slowly came to a stop just outside the city limits. The trio was thankful that it was cooler in the higher elevation and they gathered their belongings to walk the last five miles. Tired and thirsty, they stopped to rest at the first cantina they found and inquired about the Gate.

  "Donde es Puerta de Hayu Marca?" Donna said in hesitant Spanish as she tried to communicate with the waiter. The man smiled at her poor attempt, and with his broken English, he was able to describe where the Gate was located.

  "If I understand him correctly," said Donna, "we are about an hour and a half away by car."

  "Había una mujer preguntando por los altos los." The man pointed at Valencia and Thane.

  "I think he said a woman was asking about you two."

  "Inga," Valencia gasped.

  "Inga?" Thane narrowed his eyes at the name. He cursed his foolhardiness for not putting the pieces together before now. "Describe her."

  "She was the cook." Valencia proceeded to disclose all she knew about the woman. He remained silent and listened to every word, for each one was a possible clue. When she finished, he leaned back into his chair and nodded.

  "She's a Jeger." Thane drummed his fingers on the table while he thought. Without a doubt, a Jeger hunted the princess, but now he was sure which one. There were only a handful of Jeger on their world and most were students of the Mlinzi. Thane recognized the woman's name and remembered how she had fled Kifo, the compound of the Mlinzi. Twenty years ago, he sparred with her and had bested her. Beaten by a mere boy of ten years of age jarred her confidence, and she fled Kifo that very night.

  "We like to keep track of the Jegers, but Inga went missing six months ago. We thought she possibly went off-world but we weren't sure where."

  "You mean there's more than one inhabitable world out there?" Donna gasped in shock, but Thane did not respond.

  "Now you know." Valencia voiced his thoughts.

  "Yes, and now I know what we're up against." Thane continued to tap his fingers on the table. Inga's reputation had grown over the years. She'd become a mercenary, specializing in high-profile cases with extremely high payoffs. He silently cursed himself for being so blind. Capturing the Matka-Zem would bring an incredible price. The question was who had hired her? He doubted it was the Torpek, who were still in control of Sora, even in the princess's absence. So who would place a high price on Valencia? The lack of an answer bothered him more than he cared to admit. "That also explains the Glauc-tuko," he said as he pushed the disturbing thoughts from his mind.

  "Why?" Valencia and Donna both asked at the same time.

  "Inga is a Jeger, and a very good one." Thane leaned forward to lower his voice.

  "Is that like a bounty hunter?" Donna, too, leaned forward to hear his words and Valencia followed suit.

  "And the Glauc-tuko are her blood hounds," Valencia deduced.

  Thane nodded slightly in confirmation.

  "Less than a year ago, we located her spread on Sora and discovered that she was raising Glauc-tuko. We destroyed most of the beasts, but some escaped and are now in the wild." He apologized to the princess, saying, "I don't know how many she brought with her, either."

  "Well, we killed six." Valencia counted off on her fingers. "She can't have many more, can she? Unless she is breeding them here!"

  "Those things are breeding?" Donna gasped in terror. "Here?"

  "Most likely she is," Thane said. He grabbed Valencia's pack and slung it over his shoulder. As he stepped outside the cantina, he studied the sun's position in the sky. "We need to get to the Gate before dark and there is still half the day remaining. The Glauc-tuko are nocturnal creatures so we will be safer in the light."

  "I still have enough money to rent a car," Valencia said, as she caught up with him.

  In silence, they drove the 3S highway that hugged Lake Titicaca. Thane noticed even the talkative human had nothing to say. Short, dry grass, almost dead from lack of rain, covered the rocky hills on the right of the highway. In stark contrast, on his left, the lake's blue water sparkled in the sun. The huge lake was like an oasis, teasing the parched land around it.

  "There's the entrance to the Gate of the Gods." Donna pointed a finger at the sign ahead of them and gave a laugh, "Look we have to pay American $2.00 to park."

  The place was empty. There were no other cars in the lot and the attendant who would accept the entry fee was missing.

  "Where's the attendant?" Donna asked as she walked around the little shack.

  The hairs at the back of Thane's neck rose in apprehension. Something was not right and he knew the reason why. Deserted of life, not even the insects ventured a sound. On foot, they hiked the well-used path between the steep ribbons of jagged rocks. The hot sun beat down on them from a clear blue sky. As Thane glanced over his shoulder, the reflection from the lake temporarily blinded him and in spite of the smoldering heat, he quickly pulled his cowl over his head.

  "This is too easy." Thane scanned the area, yet still saw no sign of the Jeger. He drew his sword in anticipation. "I don't like this."

  "Maybe she gave up?" Donna said, with hope in her voice, but he silently shook his head.

  "Stay close," he ordered over his shoulder. The two women armed themselves and stood side by side, slightly behind him. Their tension grew. "Give me the key, Princess." Thane fell back to retrieve the gold disk.

  "You do know how to use it, right?" Valencia gave him a sly smile as she handed him the device. He rewarded her with a vicious glare. In spite of the pressing situation, she still had the ability to tease him.

  "We don't know how many creatures Inga brought with her, but target only one Glauc-tuko at a time. Although they hunt in packs, the beasts don't like sharing their food, so you shouldn't have to worry about facing two at once." He gazed at Donna, evaluating her quickly. "Take that weapon of yours and keep firing until you run out of ammo before you take to the sword." He stressed the word "before" with as stern a tone as he could muster. Then he turned to Valencia. "Princess, I'd hoped to leave you out of this fight, but alas I fear it won't be the case. You still don't have enough control over your power to be much use to us, so you must rely on your blade. I will deal with the Jeger."

  When they finally arrived at their destination, it was anticlimactic when they saw the Gate. The Gate was not very impressive to behold. It was carved out of natural rock face with a smaller alcove in the center at the base. On the smoothed surface ran two diagonal fissures hinting at the instability of the rock. Within the small alcove, was a round hole, presumably the resting place for the golden disk.

  "It doesn't look like much." Donna whispered to Valencia. Although her words sounded unimpressed, Thane saw her blue eyes were darting back and forth in search of the monsters. He put a finger to his lips then turned back around. As if on cue, he spied a lone figure coming towards them from atop the hill. Two Glauc-tuko came into view, following the Jeger. Inga positioned herself in front of the Gate as the creatures hissed at them.

  "About time you got here, Princess." Inga folded her arms across her chest, her voice condescending and nasty. "And you brought your lackey too."

  "Why are you doing this, Inga?" Valencia moved past Thane but only by a single step. Each hand held a long knife. "I thought we were friends."

  "At first, it was for the money. There is a pretty price on your head to capture you alive," Inga answered honestly. "But the longer I stayed in your pitiful company, the more I wanted to see you suffer." She sneered at the princess, baring her pointy teeth. "You are going to enjoy watching my 'pets' devour your friends before I turn you over to my employers." She shook her head in disgust. "Of course, I wasn't sure you were my target until the old hag died and you sho
wed that amazing power. What a waste of time waiting for some hint of proof that you were the Matka-Zem."

  "Did you kill the Keeper, Inga?" asked Valencia. Through the bond between them, Thane felt the stab of pain that pierced the princess's heart at the Jeger's hurtful words. "Like you did the others?" Valencia added.

  "I wish I had, but the witch died of old age." Inga tilted her head to one side and seemed finally to notice Donna standing behind Valencia. She gave a wicked laugh. "Oh, how nice of you to bring dessert. My pets are becoming quite fond of human flesh." Inga's sinister laughter echoed around the small clearing. She reached out a hand to scratch one of the Glauc-tuko's eye ridges. "Although that old couple were a little tough and stringy for their taste."

  "We found your compound on Sora, Inga." Thane stepped in front of the princess to shield her from the Jeger. He wanted to redirect Inga's attention onto him to stop her torturous words. "Your little pets are all dead."

  "What?" Inga yelled at the news, her face turning red with anger. The Glauc-tuko hissed. "You will pay for this Mlinzi. My pets will rip you apart and eat you alive."

  "Let them try," Thane answered in a quiet tone that stopped Inga from continuing her rant. He pulled back his cowl to reveal his identity to the Jeger and gave her an evil smile.

  "You?" Inga whispered in surprise.

  An unsettling silence fell over the valley. No one spoke as the tension built. Each waited for the other to move. Seconds felt like hours, still no one dared twitch a muscle. The tedious silence grew, pressing around them, causing their hearts to pound, palms to sweat, bodies to tense.

  ***

  With shaking hands, Donna stepped from behind her friends and reached for her gun. She had become familiar with the use of the sword while on the yacht, yet Thane still made her practice reloading the ammo cartridges without missing a beat. She was glad to have the pistol and the four magazines tucked in the waist of her jeans.